Transdermal therapeutic system for administering non-steroidal antiphlogistic agents containing carboxyl groups, and a method for the production of the same

ABSTRACT

A transdermal therapeutic system embodied as a matrix or reservoir system is characterized by  
     a content of at least one basic- or neutral-reacting pharmaceutical active agent  
     a content of a pressure-sensitive adhesive polymer which possesses as part of its chain acrylic acid or methacrylic acid units,,the content of the carboxyl groups, relative to the-mean polymer mass, being 0.5 to 10.0% (m/m) and the carboxyl groups being present stoichiometrically at 5 to 110%, preferably 10 to 50%, in form of alkali salts or alkaline earth salts.

[0001] This invention relates to the chemical neutralization of pressure-sensitive adhesive polymers or copolymers containing acrylic acid or methacrylic acid incorporated in their polymer chains.

[0002] Polymers based on acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and on esters thereof are of particular importance among pressure-sensitive adhesives since they are not only backbone builders and are frequently the main component of a pressure-sensitive adhesive formulation, but also possess pressure-sensitive adhesive qualities themselves. This constitutes a fundamental difference to mixtures of natural or synthetic rubbers (backbone builders) with natural or synthetic resins (so-called tackifiers), for example. With polyacrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesives there is no necessity of adding low-molecular components in order to provide them with pressure-sensitive adhesive properties.

[0003] Besides the manifold possibilities for technical application, the latter quality renders the pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesives particularly attractive for medicinal use in humans or animals. Low-molecular components—mostly resins, as required as tackifying additives to rubbers—can cause irritation and even allergic reactions when absorbed via the skin. This risk is for the most part non-existent in polyacrylates, which is why these are also described as “hypoallergenic” in medicinal use.

[0004] Pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesives are today widely used in the production of medicinal patches for wound treatment or fixation in medicinal operations (key word “adhesive patch”). Furthermore they represent the most significant group of pressure-sensitive adhesives used for making transdermal therapeutic systems (TTSs).

[0005] Apart from their good skin compatibility, the reasons therefor lie in the following properties:

[0006] Polyacrylates can be composed in manifold ways from a large selection of monomers. In this way, it is possible to adjust the pressure-sensitive adhesive properties of the polymers and their affinity to the surfaces which are to be bonded, e.g. human skin, within broad limits. In this connection, it is, in particular, the chemical nature of the lateral chains on the polyacrylate backbone which plays a crucial part. The lateral chains not only determine hydrophilia-lipophilia balance within the polymer, and thus, for example, the amount of moisture that can be absorbed: by means of appropriate lateral chains and the mixture thereof it is, in particular, possible to reduce the crystallinity of the polymer. A reduction of the crystallinity and thereby of the glass transition temperature has a positive effect on the pressure-sensitive adhesive properties of the polymer by promoting the flowability and thereby the quick wetting of the surfaces.

[0007] For medicinal applications of TTSs a low glass transition temperature is of particular importance: In the non-crystalline state, the polymer, that is, its side chains are particularly permeable to pharmaceutic active substances and auxiliaries contained. This is essential for the quick release at the site of application.

[0008] Polyacrylates possess a high solubility for most pharmaceutic active substances. Typically, it is higher than in other pressure-sensitive adhesives suitable for the production of TTSs such as, for instance, natural rubber-resin mixtures, or in pressure-sensitive silicone adhesives.

[0009] Frequently, the required quantities of an active substance can actually be dissolved—and thereby incorporated in a TTS in the form most suitable for delivery—in polyacrylates only.

[0010] When polymerising unesterified acrylic or methacrylic acid in polyacrylates, the latter can carry free carboxyl groups on their chain. These carboxyl groups are suitable for later connecting several polymer chains with each other via the groups. Typical reagents which are generally known to those skilled in the art are organometallic complexes such as, for example, aluminium or titanyl acetyl acetonate. These introduce polyvalent cations into the polymer, which cations then simultaneously bind to several carboxyl groups on different polymer chains.

[0011] In this way, it is possible to crosslink linear polymer chains three-dimensionally. Typically, this takes place when heating and drying the corresponding polymer solution in the course of processing to yield the final product. Other possibilities of crosslinking result from irradiation of high-energy quanta of light, e.g. UV radiation, in combination with suitable crosslinking reagents.

[0012] Crosslinking prevents the flowability of the polymer mass while maintaining a deformability which has remained essentially elastic only.

[0013] When crosslinking is dispensed with, typically there occurs an unwanted slow flow—known as “cold flow”—of the pressure-sensitive adhesive under action of any outer force, in the most simple case: gravity. Upon application on the skin, cold flow can lead to the pressure-sensitive adhesive penetrating the pores of the skin more deeply than wanted, and thereby make removal more difficult, and thus painful. Here, too, the capacity for crosslinking affords corresponding advantages.

[0014] It is thus one of the most important qualities of polyacrylates. Polyacrylates are obtained from polymerisation of the vinyl residue of acrylic or methacrylic acid. This mechanism enables in a very simple manner the incorporation of foreign monomers (non-(meth)acrylates), which likewise contain an ethylenically unsaturated molecule part. These are, for example, ethylene, vinyl acetate or other esters of vinyl alcohol, and especially various vinyl pyrrolidones, as well as styrene and crotamiton.

[0015] In the field of medicinal pressure-sensitive adhesives one finds, for example, numerous mixed polymers with vinyl-pyrrolidones. These enable the adjustment of higher solubilities of certain active substances, or also of higher moisture absorption or moisture tolerance on the skin as application site.

[0016] Altogether, not only in the field of technical applications do polyacrylates represent an indispensable group of pressure-sensitive adhesives.

[0017] In particular in medicinal application, polyacrylates are of outstanding importance due to the sum of their positive properties in combination with their being available at low cost.

[0018] The present invention relates to the chemical modification of acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives. The term acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives means polymers possessing the following properties:

[0019] the polymer has pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at room temperature

[0020] relative to the mean polymer mass, at least 50% (w/w) thereof are monomers from the group of acrylic or methacrylic acid or ester derivatives thereof

[0021] relative to the mean polymer mass, 0.5% (w/w), but at maximum 10% (w/w) thereof, are unesterified acrylic or methacrylic acids.

[0022] The object of the present invention was to improve the acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives' water absorptivity as well as their tolerance of moisture in general.

[0023] This is desirable, in particular, in the medicinal treatment of humans or animals, since the pressure-sensitive adhesives positioned on the skin are subjected to the continuous release of water vapour by the skin and, in humans, also to the moisture produced by sweating. Under these conditions, the pressure-sensitive adhesive properties are frequently diminished considerably, so that a medicinal patch will prematurely become detached from the skin.

[0024] With conventional acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives, problems may occur already when sticking the medicinal patch onto moist skin.

[0025] Moisture absorptivity constitutes a desirable improvement in yet a further context:

[0026] In transdermal therapeutic systems, a pharmaceutical active agent is typically contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Such active agents are mostly lipophile substances, which are frequently highly soluble in polyacrylates. Good solubility in the adhesive matrix is, however, detrimental to the release of active substance to the application site. The uptake of moisture in the pressure-sensitive adhesive matrix at the site of application (water vapour, sweat) can diminish the solubility of lipophile active agents in said matrix. An increased capacity for moisture absorption thus has a positive effect on the release of many lipophile active substances from a pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesive. The above-described object is achieved according to the invention in that the carboxyl groups contained in acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives are partially or completely neutralized by converting them to the alkali salts or alkaline earth salts. As reagents are used alkaline compounds of the alkali metals or alkaline earth metals, preferably their hydroxide salts such as sodium or potassium hydroxide.

[0027] The resultant polymer salts possess—as is the nature of all ionically charged molecules or molecule parts—a high binding capacity for water in the form of hydrate covers. Especially the counter ions sodium and potassium are capable of binding a large amount of water in this manner.

[0028] Neutralizing or neutralization means to convert the acidically reacting carboxyl groups present into salts by reacting them with a base. Neutralization means the complete conversion of all acid groups in this way. The neutralization degree, as percentage, expresses at what proportion the conversion has taken place as against the theoretically possible, complete conversion.

[0029] A neutralization degree of more than 100% should be avoided since the system of alkali carboxylate and excessive alkali does not form a buffer, but can form a highly alkaline and thus chemically decomposing medium. A neutralization degree of more than 100% may, however, be useful if other acid components are contained in the formulation, as, for instance, low-molecular carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids or fatty acids. Such substances can be found among plasticizers, tackifiers or enhancers.

[0030] Achieving the above object was possible only by utilizing, instead of the aqueous solutions of sodium or potassium hydroxide used in most cases, the corresponding alcoholic, or at most slightly aqueous, solutions. Only under these conditions can the reaction be carried through in an environment in which the above-described acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives do not precipitate from the solution and in which the products also remain stably dissolved.

[0031] The term “slightly” means that the volume fraction of water in the reagent solution does not exceed 20% and, in particular, does not exceed 10%. Ideally, water-free solutions are used.

[0032] According to the prior art, pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesives the carboxyl groups of which are converted into salts by alkalis or at least convertible into salts in an alkaline medium are typically used in the field of water-dispersible preparations.

[0033] If the number of carboxyl groups in the polymer is large enough, hydrophilia can be increased by the conversion of carboxyl groups into salts to such an extent that the product can be processed dispersed in water.

[0034] If the content of carboxyl groups in the polymer is increased further, it is even possible to achieve solubility in an alkaline aqueous environment.

[0035] In contrast thereto, the herein-described polyacrylates comprise only a small content of carboxyl groups. This content is not sufficient to render the neutralized product water-soluble or water-dispersible. Such dispersibility or solubility in water is in fact not desirable for application on the skin since otherwise detachment can take place already due to skin perspiration.

[0036] In the field of technical and medicinal pressure-sensitive adhesives there are also described polyacrylates which likewise possess only a small content of 0.05% to 8.0% (w/w) of carboxyl group-containing monomers, these monomers being present partially or completely as alkali salt.

[0037] The advantages were seen in good cohesion, good weathering and ageing resistance, as well as when wearing the patch on perspiring skin.

[0038] However, no observations are available here as to possible modifications of the delivery of pharmaceutical active agents from such matrices.

[0039] A quite similar case is JP 52-059636 A, which likewise provides for a content of akali-reacting alkali metal compounds to be contained in a pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesive having a small content of carboxyl groups. In addition, ionic crosslinking is provided. Here, too, there are no observations available as to possible modifications of the release of pharmaceutical active agents from such matrices.

[0040] The technique of neutralizing polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives has also been used in conjunction with carboxyl group-containing pharmaceutical active substances. Here, an increase of cohesion was achieved, under addition of larger amounts of plasticizing auxiliary substances, and especially the skin compatibility of the patch was improved by means of the active substance ibuprofene.

[0041] The latter is seen in connection with raising the pH towards physiological values of the skin surface. Otherwise, patches comprising a carboxyl group-containing pharmaceutically active agent could react too acidically, and thereby cause irritation.

[0042] Within the group of possible pharmaceutical active agents, however, only such active agents are discussed which contain carboxyl groups in the molecule and which can thus react acidically.

[0043] Increase of cohesion, improvement of adhesive properties and of the resistance to moisture, increase of the load-ability with plasticizing auxiliary substances, as well as the irritation-reducing effect in conjunction with acid pharmaceutical active substances have all been known as effects of neutralization of acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives.

[0044] Surprisingly, it was found in connection with the present invention that especially the use of basic pharmaceutical active substances in combination with neutralized acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives results in an, in part extraordinary, increase of the release rate of the pharmaceutical active agent.

[0045] Further, there is an entirely unexpected controllability of the release rate of basic pharmaceutical active agents by way of the neutralization degree of the acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0046] The advantages resulting from such a combination in the field of transdermal therapeutic systems by far surpass the advantages already known as described above.

[0047] Furthermore, it was found completely unexpectedly that there was also an improvement of the release of pharmaceutical active substances which react chemically neutral.

[0048] For basic pharmaceutically active agents it is in principle to be expected that the release of an acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive will be impeded due to the formation of a reversible bond to the polymer by acid-base reaction. Though it is to be expected that neutralization of the polymer leads to the loosening of this bond, the extent of this effect, and especially the practically linear controllability thereof which has been observed, by far exceeds the expectations held by those skilled in the art.

[0049] With pharmaceutical active agents which react in a chemically neutral manner, no interaction with acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives of the acid-base reaction type is to be expected at all. The improvement of the release behaviour which has nevertheless been surprisingly observed is possibly related to changes in the three-dimensional polymer structure and the solubility for low-molecular active substances embedded therein.

[0050] In addition to the already known positive effects of neutralization of acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives, among which the increase of cohesion and thus the improvement of resistance to plasticizers play the most important part, there is thus a positive effect which has so far been unknown with respect to basic and neutral pharmaceutic active substances.

[0051] This results in the subject-matter of the present invention being, in particular, novel transdermal therapeutic systems for the delivery of basic or neutral pharmaceutic active agents, based on neutralized pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesives.

[0052] Basic pharmaceutical active substances are those substances possessing as part of their molecular structure at least one group which is capable of chemically reacting as a Lewis base. Preferably, such groups are primary, secondary or tertiary aliphatic or aromatic amines. But they can also be basic-reacting amides, or guanidine structures.

[0053] “Neutral” are such pharmaceutical active agents which cannot be converted into a pharmaceutically acceptable salt form, either by bases or acids.

[0054] These are, for instance, steroid active substances such as testosterone, norethisterone acetate or estradiol as well as organic esters of nitric acid, especially nitroglycerine and isosorbide mononitrate or dinitrate.

[0055] Due to the high cohesion of neutralized pressure-sensitive polyacrylate adhesives, such formulations are particularly suited for incorporating liquid auxiliary substances, especially enhancers, in larger quantities of 10 to 80% (w/w), preferably 10 to 50% (w/w), relative to the adhesive matrix.

[0056] Owing to the high cohesion and low flowability of the neutralized pressure-sensitive adhesive films, however, spontaneous tack on the skin may lessen, so that such films do not always exhibit optimal adhesive properties. In such cases it can be required to provide, on the side facing the skin, a separate pressure-sensitive adhesive layer improving the adhesion of the system to the skin. This layer can in principle be composed of any pressure-sensitive adhesives that are suitable for medicinal application. Preferably, it should not markedly reduce the release of the pharmaceutic active substance from the layer of the neutralized polyacrylate matrix. To this end, it should in any case be made as thin as possible. Polymers suitable for the formation of the skin-facing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are from the group of polyacrylates, silicone rubber, polyisobutylene, polyisoprene, as well as styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers and styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers.

[0057] The invention will be illustrated in the following by way of embodiment examples.

[0058] Examinations on the thermodynamics of a model of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer film permeation

[0059] For three basic pharmaceutical active agents, the release behaviour from an acid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive film in dependence from the neutralization of the adhesive and from the reagent used for this purpose was examined.

[0060] All tests on EVA membrane were carried out with n=3 samples.

[0061] To this end, the active substance-containing pressure-sensitive adhesive films were stuck on an EVA film as carrier membrane, and the amount of active agent released over time through this membrane to an aqueous medium buffered to pH 5.5 and located on the opposite side was quantified by appropriate HPLC methods.

[0062] Compared to biological membranes such as skin, EVA film has the advantage of high standardizability, so that extremely meaningful comparative measurements are possible. The permeation device was a modified permeation cell according to Franz as generally known in the field of TTS development.

[0063] The use of EVA film as membrane in this test design enables the isolated observation of the thermodynamic activity of an active substance in the pressure-sensitive adhesive matrix.

[0064] Since in the embodiment examples the active substance represents the only component which is low-molecular and capable of migration, it is the tendency of exclusively this active substance to exudate from the polymer matrix of the pressure-sensitive adhesive and to migrate into the acceptor medium after passing through the EVA membrane which is recorded.

[0065] Independently of the permeation properties of human skin for such an active substance, the release tendency of the system in respect of the active substance as measured here is the most essential impetus for transdermal therapy by means of such a system.

[0066] The TTSs tested were all composed of an active substance-containing pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a weight per unit area of 80 g/m². The content of active substance in the case of tulobuterol, rivastigmin and xanomeline was 5% (w/w), in the case of testosterone 2.5% (w/w).

[0067] To prepare the TTSs, the commercially available pressure-sensitive adhesive solution Durotak® 387-2051 (by National Starch), was mixed possibly with a 10% (w/w) methanolic solution of the alkali hydroxide in an amount corresponding to a neutralization degree of the polyacrylate of 100%. Only thereafter was the active substance added and dissolved in the mass.

[0068] This solution was coated onto a siliconized carrier film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and dried in a drawing-off air oven for 10 minutes at 80° C. until a film was formed. The dry film was covered with a 15-μm-thick PET film.

[0069] Appropriate punched pieces were taken from this laminate, and the carrier film was removed before the active substance-containing film was stuck to the EVA carrier film. TABLE 1 Formulations for EVA permeation. Formul. Neutralizing Neutralization No. Active Agent Reagent Degree [%] 1 Tulobuterol — 0 2 Tulobuterol KOH 100 3 Tulobuterol NaOH 100 4 Rivastigmin — 0 5 Rivastigmin KOH 100 6 Rivastigmin NaOH 100 7 Xanomeline — 0 8 Xanomeline KOH 100 9 Xanomeline NaOH 100 10 Rivastigmin KOH 20 11 Rivastigmin KOH 40 12 Rivastigmin KOH 60 13 Rivastigmin KOH 80 14 Testosterone KOH 0 15 Testosterone KOH 50 16 Testosterone KOH 100

[0070] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an extreme increase in the release of the three examined basic active substances from the pressure-sensitive adhesive matrix if the polyacrylate is present in neutralized form.

[0071] Furthermore, one can see a clear advantage of the use of potassium hydroxide over sodium hydroxide. As regards this effect it can only be assumed that it is related, in a way as yet unknown, to the larger ionic radius of potassium ions.

[0072]FIG. 4 shows the strong dependence of the effect from the neutralization degree for the case of rivastigmin as active substance by way of example.

[0073]FIG. 5 shows the same data as FIG. 4 but with the permeated active substance amount plotted directly against the neutralization degree (note: neutralization degrees of 0 to 100% correspond to formulations 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 5, in this order).

[0074] This very suprisingly shows that practically throughout the entire range of neutralization degrees from 0 to 100% there exists a linear dependence. This dependence is illustrated by linear regressions represented as broken lines.

[0075] The amount of active substance to be released per time can thus be exactly controlled by means of the neutralization degree.

[0076]FIG. 6 shows the effect of the neutralization of the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the release of a neutral active substance. Here, too, one can see a marked increase in the release rates due to neutralization. In contrast to the basic active agents examined there obviously exists no linear dependence of the release rate on the neutralization degree. 

1. Transdermal therapeutic system embodied as a matrix or reservoir system, characterized by a content of at least one basic- or neutral-reacting pharmaceutical active agent a content of a pressure-sensitive adhesive polymer which possesses as part of its chain acrylic acid or methacrylic acid units, the content of the carboxyl groups, relative to the mean polymer mass, being 0.5 to 10.0% (m/m) and the carboxyl groups being present stoichiometrically at 5 to 110%, preferably 10 to 50%, in form of alkali salts or alkaline earth salts.
 2. Transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a matrix system consisting of a non-adhesive backing layer, one to three, preferably one or two, pressure-sensitive adhesive layer(s), and a removable protective layer rendered dehesive.
 3. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alkali salt is the potassium salt.
 4. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alkaline earth metal is the calcium salt.
 5. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pharmaceutical active substance is present, at 20° C., as a liquid.
 6. Transdermal therapeutic active system according to claim 5, characterized in that the pharmaceutical active agent is present in an amount from 2 to 50% (m/m)., preferably 5 to 25% (m/m), relative to the active substance-containing matrix.
 7. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains a basic pharmaceutical active substance in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, preferably as acetate, citrate, fumarate, hydrochloride, lactate, maleate, mesylate, sulfate or tartrate.
 8. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carboxyl group-containing polymer mentioned is present crosslinked with aluminium ions in a concentration of 0.005 to 0.5% (m/m), preferably 0.01 to 0.1% (m/m), calculated as aluminium, relative to the polymer mass.
 9. Transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 8, characterized in that the crosslinking reagent utilised is aluminium acetyl acetonate.
 10. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of straight-chain or branched-chain fatty alcohols of the general formula C_(X)H_(Y)CH₂OH where X=9 to 17 and Y=19 to 33, preferably decanol, dodecanol, 2-hexyl decanol, 2-octyl dodecanol or oleyl alcohol.
 11. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids of the general formula C_(X)H_(Y)COOH where X=9 to 17 and Y=19 to 33, preferably undecylenic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid or oleic acid.
 12. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of sorbitane fatty acid esters or of their derivatives obtained by ethoxylation, preferably sorbitane monolaurate and sorbitane mono-oleate, which may each be present etherified with 5 to 20 molecules of ethylene oxide per sorbitane ester molecule.
 13. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, preferably the reaction products of dodecanol or oleyl alcohol with 1 to 5 units of ethylene oxide.
 14. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of esters of fatty acids with methanol, ethanol or isopropanol, preferably methyl laurate, ethyl oleate, isopropyl myristate or isopropyl palmitate.
 15. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one enhancer from the group of esters of fatty alcohols with acetic acid or lactic acid, preferably lauryl lactate or oleyl acetate.
 16. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one water-miscible enhancer from the group of polyvalent aliphatic alcohols or polyethylene glykols, preferably 1,2-propylene glykol, glycerin, 1,3-butanediol, dipropylene glykol as well as polyethylene glykols with mean molecular weights of 200 to 600 Da.
 17. Transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 16, characterized in that the so-called enhancer is present in the matrix dispersed partially or completely, as in the case of an emulsion, the enhancer preferably being glycerin.
 18. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the active substance-containing matrix has a content of at least one plasticizer from the group of the citric acid esters or the saturated triglycerides, preferably triethyl citrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, triacetin or medium-chain triglycerides with fatty acid chains having a length of 8 to 12 carbon atoms.
 19. Transdermal therapeutic system according to one or more of claims 10 to 18, characterized in that the enhancer, or a mixture of the enhancers mentioned, or a mixture of the enhancers mentioned with enhancers not mentioned, accounts for 10 to 80%, preferably 10 to 50% (m/m) of the active substance-containing matrix.
 20. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the system contains dispersed therein a water-adsorbing or water-absorbing solid agent in dry condition, preferably carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt, crosslinked polyvinyl-pyrrolidone, crosslinked polyacrylic acid or polymethacrylic acid, as well as carboxymethyl starch.
 21. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is provided a separate layer which is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the skin-facing side and consisting of a carboxyl group-containing pressure-sensitive acrylate adhesive the carboxyl groups of which are, however, not present as a salt and which is preferably crosslinked by aluminium ions.
 22. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is provided a separate layer which is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the skin-facing side and consisting of a carboxyl group-free and hydroxyl group-containing pressure-sensitive acrylate adhesive which is preferably crosslinked by aluminium ions or titanium ions.
 23. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains a separate layer which is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the skin-facing side and consists of a silicone-based pressure-sensitive adhesive.
 24. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is provided a separate layer which is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the skin-facing side and consisting of a pressure-sensitive adhesive based on a mixture of polyisobutylenes having at least two different medium molecular weights.
 25. Transdermal therapeutic system according to claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the said layer, which is pressure-sensitive adhesive on the skin-facing side, has a weight per unit area of 10 to 100 g/m², preferably 20 to 50 g/m².
 26. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pharmaceutical active substance is nicotine, xanomeline or rivastigmin.
 27. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pharmaceutical active substance is a steroid hormone, preferably estradiol, levonorgestrel, norethisterone acetate, gestoden or testosterone.
 28. Transdermal therapeutic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pharmaceutical active agent is an organic ester of nitric acid, preferably nitroglycerine, isosorbide mononitrate or isosorbide dinitrate. 